The ‎two were quietly tumbling through the great hall of the palace. Prince Augustin was still a little smaller than his companion Edgar. Nevertheless, you could feel the need of protection, Augustin felt towards his best friend. He did not care about Edgar's height, as a prince and as future King he would protect his serfs. But all too often he forgot that Edgar would be a highly respected Earl. Which went against the young Earls grain. But he could never be mad at the blond energy bundle of Prince for too long. He loved to see him laugh.

Hand in hand they left the marble-fabricated hall, down the stairs into the rose garden. You could hear them from far away, a giggling and bickering duo.

“Let's go find Mother! I'm sure she'll cut me a rose to give you.” With a straight back and a somewhat gruff tone for a 14-year-old, the prince explained his intentions. A brief nod from Edgar. Far too rarely did words leave his mouth, Augustin thought. Quickly the blond grabbed the older one by the hand and dragged him through the rose garden. Until he saw his mother's bright red hair. With short breath they now stood in front of the queen, she looked at the two boys with a knowing smile. The tall woman bent over the rose bush, that rose in front of her and pinched off a rose, that had not yet fully blossomed, with her index finger and thumb.

“Here my dear.” She held the rose between her delicate long fingers. Proudly, Augustin stretched out his fingers after the rose. When he had the flower in his hand as tightly as his mother had before, he turned to Edgar. A broad smile graced the earl’s face, he looked so young in the golden light of the day. A light pink veil covered Edgar’s cheeks as he guessed what Augustin was up to. Just a few hours earlier, they saw the same spectacle by Prince Valentin, Augustin’s older brother. He proposed to his princess. Valentin always called her a “love for life.” Augustin knelt, copying his brother to the most accurate. His eyes slid over the muscular legs, over the slender waist to the deer-brown eyes of Edgar. Several streaks of hair have already fallen on the face, but this only underlined Edgar's royal beauty. The younger began to speak with a clear tone.

“Future Earl, Edgar of Ethereal will you give me the honour and hand in marriage and become my husband.“

No giggles, no 'just kidding', none of these things came out of Augustin's mouth, as Edgar had expected. Edgar's knees softened as he realized the weight of the words, Augustin spoke just a few seconds ago. The Prince of Nefarious had proposed to him, with his mother as witness. As minutes passed and only the queen retreated with a smirk, Augustin's voice broke the silence again. “I'm serious Edgar!” he cried out in panic, the fear of being rejected sprouting up inside of him. The older one shook his head. At that point, the prince turned pale, almost losing his composure. But had he not withstood Edgar's stubborn gaze, he would've never noticed the wicked little smile. Even though the young Earl always tried to look so political and elegant, he lacked any feel for it.

Strong fingers closed around the prince’s hand. Enclosed not only him, but also the rose in it. “If you’re really serious, prove it to me!” It almost sounded like an order leaving Edgar’s throat. Courageously Augustine straightened up, still enclosed the rose in his hands. He dropped the rose, and an expression of nervousness and naivety marked his face. He stepped towards Edgar, only a breath separated the two from each other. “Do you want to kiss me”, a giggle of the elder, “like Valentin the princess?” Augustin once again let the picture of Princess Daphne pass by in his brother arms. The smaller one nodded vigorously. A mischievous smile flashed over Edgar’s face before his familiar calm face took up the place again. He tapped the prince on the shoulder and before they knew it, they were running wildly around, through the rose garden.

A fierce game of “You are!”, “No! You are!” originated. Until Edgar overpowered Augustin and forced him to the ground with his mass. The two boys breathed wildly, their lips almost on each other’s. “Do you love really love me?” Edgar’s voice was almost only a breath in the wind, but Augustin understood every word clear. The two years more life experience, raised doubts in the young earl's mind. Far too often he saw the staff falling in love and then break up again in a heated argument. Moreover, he was not a princess or strategically valuable to the kingdom. Augustin saw the doubts in Edgar's face.

“Yes, if that's the feeling I have?”, “Describe it to me!” demanded the Young Earl. One of his hands found the prince's soft cheeks, and the little one buried both hands in the elder's wild mane. This situation was so new and foreign to both. But at the same time, they wanted more and explore where this feeling could take them.

“When you look at me, I feel warm. So incredibly warm and my heart runs faster than every messenger of the crown could run, so I want to rip it out of my chest. But then I couldn't love you anymore. “A short silence, only their irregular breaths and loud heartbeats could be heard.

“I'd love to spend the whole day with you. Even though you're always so annoying in one moment and so quiet in the next. But that's you, and that's why I love you so much.”

Slowly the two turned red like the rose lying next to them in the grass. Edgar crossed a single strand from Augustine’s face, crossed the high cheekbones, over the snouts, and then his fingers reached their destination – his lips. Would they taste as sweet as the flowers around them smell? Edgar asked himself secretly.

But for a long time, this question could not germinate in his mind. Because the prince, who was so shy, took the initiative and kissed him. The kiss was awkward, hectic, and anxious at the beginning. But when Edgar picked up the sceptre, he showed his little prince how the horses rode. A sound of goodness escaped the prince. Which put a smile on Edgar’s face. Neither of them knew how long they were writhing on the ground and kissing. But one thing was clear, this wasn't the last time.

This was just the beginning.